HELP w/ 33's on sale -- Dick Cepek Trail Country EXP vs Toyo Open County C/T (1 Viewer)

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I've been racking on my brain and can't make a decision between two less common 33" (285/75-16) tires that happen to be in my budget at the moment. With discounts/rebate the prices are close. $129 each for the Toyo vs $135 for the Dick Cepek. Generally I have a good impression of Toyo, but these are kind of odd, and neither tire has much info. Please help! 🍻

First up: Dick Cepek Trail Country EXP

Dick-Cepek-Trail-Country-EXP-All-Terrain-Tire-White-Letters.jpeg


Features: Made by Cooper. Seems similar to the S/T Maxx with a lighter 2 ply construction (57lbs vs 62lbs). Still E rated. Looks like a decent, relatively cheap hybrid-type tire.

Next up: Toyo Open County C/T

81Hbfw1YZyL._SL1500_.jpg


This is kind of an odd tire. They call it commercial grade all-terrain, supposedly with a winter focus. It has a high natural rubber content. It's mountain-snowflake certified and drilled for studs. It's heavier (61lbs) and has a three ply construction. Prior to sale it was the higher priced tire.

When comparing it to the other tires of similar size in the C/T line, it's the only one rated for C load and 50psi max, where all the others are E load/80psi. Yet I'm told it has the same construction, and the weight is what you'd expect for its size relative to its peers. Now I don't really know if I should care what it's rated -- under some circumstances C rated might be better for weight, etc -- but in this case it weighs more than the Dick Cepek and may have a less comfortable ride due to what I suspect is actually a more beefy construction given it's commercial grade title and the literature.

Anyway there's hardly any info about either of these, but they're the only two options I see right now for a strong value. I'm leaning toward the Toyo. I like the name, it's a little cheaper, and there isn't a rebate to worry about. The supposed winter performance would be welcome (I'll be driving a 98LX with no VSC for Colorado snow), but I'm concerned that it's actually a niche tire that won't end up being as good for me. I wouldn't be surprised if the highway ride is worse or noisier, and the specialized rubber compound is an unknown. I often hear about high silica content in tires. This seems like it would be the opposite. There's also the 4lb difference, which might be nice to avoid. Plus it seems like it isn't very popular which makes me wonder why.

Any thoughts? Think the Toyo would be good for trails (HIH9!) and the road, or is this some special tire meant for construction trucks up in the tundra?
 
knowing nothing about either tire, I would go with the 3ply over the 2ply every time. I've learned cheap tires like cheap TP will always burn you in the end.
 
Save up another three hundred bucks and get tires that will allow the performance and durability without guessing at application.
 
Thanks for the advice @bamabrock. It made sense to me and right away I decided against the Dick Cepek. Still thinking strongly about the Toyo.

@Pucker5 I totally see what you're saying, but for 5 tires it's more like a $400 difference when I can get those Toyo's (normally $220) for only $139 $129. So closer to $650 vs $1050 for something like Toyo A/T II or similar. It's a big jump compared to tires that do seem to tick a lot of boxes.

I agree it's a risk but I'm leaning toward trying my luck. The little info out there is pretty positive. They may turn out great, after all. If not I'll chalk it up to a lesson learned.
 
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I had a set of toyo open country at2. They chopped tread pretty quick and became noisy tires. Good tire otherwise. It was definitely the tire, the tires I had before and after do not have chopped wear like the Toyos.
 
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I looked for it on the forum and it seems like c rated just has a lower pressure threshold since the sidewalks aren’t as thick. If you’re not towing a bunch of stuff that’s a plus too.
 
285/75/16 KO2s can be had for around $190. I would save a little longer and go that route. Especially if going to HIHs. They are proven.
 
I have a set of Toyo Open Country AT'2 that have 63 thousand miles on them. I've only rotated them 2 times since new. They are not on my 100 series. I have them on my work truck, a RAM 1500 4x4. I carry 1200 pounds of gear at all times. They are probably the best tire I have ever had on a work truck. They work well off road (I'm a Land Surveyor that does a lot on dirt roads/trails and a ton of highway miles). They worked well in the snow on a trip through Utah. They are relatively quiet, smooth running tires. I will by another set when these finally wear out. I think I'll get 70k out of them.

I would get the Toyo Tires! I may even run them on my LC next time.

Front 63k
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Rear 63k
IMG_6833.JPG
 
Ok thanks everyone. I appreciate all the perspectives. I went ahead and got the Toyo's. Ultimately it came down to price and honestly a little curiosity about the tire.

I mostly was just wanted to make sure it wasn't a known bad idea, like "that type of tire is made for a totally different application and will definitely not be good on a 100 for these reasons..." Instead the cautions were mostly due to the unknown, which I can handle. I think it might end up being pretty good. I wanted a durable all-terrain tire that's good in snow, so hopefully this will fit that need. 🍻
 
Sure thing: ebay link (qty: 4) or singles

Price is ~$149 a tire. There is an ebay deal right now that allowed me to get 13% off until Thursday night (max $100 discount) when using their app. I think it may be an invite deal, though. Log in to see if you have a message from them. You don't need the app to see the invite. The discount is paid in ebay bucks, but I use ebay all the time so I like that. So for me it was $744 - $97 = $647 for 5 = $129 per

If you don't like ebay or don't get the offer, you can still save a little by going directly through their website ($145). You might hurry if you're thinking about it. They've raised the price briefly before lowering it again.

Hope that helps. Cheers!
 
How do you like the Toyo CTs? Now that you have had a chance to run them.
 
Unfortunately the truck has been stuck in a state of slow restoration as the rest of life has taken priority. I've got the tires on it and they look good to me, but I've only put a couple miles on them during test drives around the neighborhood. Wish I could be more help. If they're still available at a good price I think they're worth a look.
 

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